Necticut



Sept. 25, 1928; I 1,685,361

H. HUBBELL, JR

CAP AND SHELL FASTENING Filed llay 7, 1927 Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY HUBBELL, JR., OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HARVEY HUB- BELL, INCORPORATED, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

CAP AND SHELL FASTENING.

Application filed May 7, 1927.

invention relates to shells for eleci evices such as are used for lamp sock- .epeuding switches and the like, and has as its particular object to provide an improved fastening means for securing the body section and the cap section of the shell to- ;z c'the One oi the objects of the invention is to provide a fastening means for the cap and shell section which will more securely secure these elements together than do the fastenings now generally ei'nployei'l. and therefore, where the shell is used to c; rry a weight, such as glass shades or globes, will be more reliable and will be much less liable to separate under the weight of the shade or globeand permit it to drop l also an object of the invention to provide securing means for this type of devices in which the cap and shell may be more ea y separated when desired than can the s now generally used.

ll ith the foregoing and other objects in view l have devised the construction illustratcd in the accompanying drawing embodylllQf the preferred form of my invention.

In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the lamp socket shell with parts lroken away to more clearly show the construction.

2 is a transverse section substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fi 3 is a bottom'plan view of the cap.

Fig. l is a side elevation of the cap showing the lockingring in section.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of one side of the cap substantially on line 55 of 3 showing its position on the shell, the upper portion of the shell being also shown in section and the parts being shown in the position they occupy when the securing means is released.

Fig. 6 is a similar detail section, the section of the cap being substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a detail section substantially on line 7-'. of Fig. 4 on an enlarged scale.

8 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 7.

Fi S) is a vertical sect-ion of this structure.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the upper or inner end oi: a section of the shell on an enlarged scale. and

Fig. 11 is a detail section of this end of the shell.

Serial No. 189,649.

The shell section 1 has the usual notch 14:-

lcadinc; from its upper or inner end for the guide 15 oi the pull chain 16 for operatinn the switch, not shown, and the shell has the usual threads 17 to which any desired type of shade holder may be attached. Both the cap and the shell are lined with the usual lihre insulation 18 and 19.

The shell. 12 is provided. a suitable distance from its upper end with a. row of openings 20. It is preferred that these openings be substantially rectangular and that they be equally spaced throughout the periphery of the shell and also equally spaced from the end of the shell. The cap it is provided with aplurality of tongues 21 which are formed by slit-ting the cap inwardly from its free edge a suitable distance shown at 22. I prefer to provide four or five of these tongues equally spaced about the cap as this number has provcn very satisfactory in practice. Of course, I do not wish to be limited to this particular number because it will be obvious the number may be chanced if found desirable. Each tongue is provided with an inwardly projecting nib or lug; 23. This nib or lugmay be conveniently formed by slitting the wall of the tongue transversely as indicated at 24, and then forcinsr the metal inwardly at the lower side 0t this slit. It the slit is curved upwardly somewhat as shown in Fig. 8. then when the wall is forced inwardly the upper edge of this nib will be substantially straight as shown in Fla. 9. If the curve is made of smaller radius then the center of the nib may be somewhat higher than its ends giving it a sort of book eitect if desired. but it is preferred to have it substantiallv straight. The can is provided at a suitable distance f om its free edge with a shoulder 25. and the nibs 23 are spaced from this shoulder a distance correspon ding to the distance oi the openinsrs 20 in the shell from the end of this shell, so that when the end of the shell is 'iii') 1 the hell 'and the'cap are placed intelescoiing rclatloi'i. Also the freeedge of the shell inserted in the cap its ini'iveinent is limited by engagement of the end oi? the shell with this shin'lldcr and at the proper position so that the nibs or lugs 23 may extend into these ope 'rings. V p 4 I y liloun ted on the outside of the cap and in position to slide longitudinally on this cap is a locking ring 26. This ring is preferably of sheetmetal similar to that of which the shell and the cap are constructed, and has an inwardly extending flange 27 at one end to engage the oiite'r portion [of the shoulder 25, which, therefore, limits its movement in one direction. At its other end itis formed with a head 28 projecting inwardly on its inner wall. The cap is provided with outwardly extending; lugs 29 ashort distance below the shoiild'er 25 did on the portions of its side ails between the tongues 21, and which 'cooperates with the head 28, as shown in Fig. 6, to limit the 'upwa'rd movement of the ring.

' In. in'anntactnring, the cap andring yield suflici ent so that the ring may be forced over the lil gs 'to the proper position. Two of these one on opposite sides of the cap are also provided with inwardly extendin lugs 36 hayihg iipright side walls to engage side walls of an of the "openings 20 in t'hes'liel l to prevent turning of the cap on the shell.

The inet'a l 0t whieh the 'cap is constructed is resilient and 'theto'ngues 21 are so formed that they tend to move outwardly sullicien-tly so t'l'i'at the inner tip of the nibs 23 jnst clear the outer surface of the shell, as indicated in F 5, when the ring 26 is in the upper position as indicated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.- The ring, however, is of such a 'diaineter that \vhcn it is forced 'to its lower position with the flange 27 against the outer wall oil the shou'lder 25, as indicated in Fig. 1, it will force the free ends of the toiigues 21 inwardly and cause the nibs or lugs 23 to project into the openings 20 in the shell oppor which they ha upon to be located, as indicated in Figs. 1. aiic. 2. The 'to1igu'es'21 and also the flree edge elf th'e'c'aip are 'n'oyided with beads SOand 31 over which the head 28 on the ring pass and thus these beads cooperate to yieldab'ly lock the ring in "the securing position of F' 1. It "will 'be'obvious th at by forcing the ring 26 urnvard'ly from the position of Fig. 1. the tongues will "be released permitting them to move outwardly *alnd'carry their lugs or nibs 23 free of theopen'ings20 in 'theshel l.

. The free edge portion of the body of the shell 12 maybe moreor less corri'igatedas indicated, especially between the openings 20 and the lree'edge o'fthe shell, lrlth'oughthese corrugations are not absolutely necessary. lVhen they are used the "-grooves'ol the corrugations are arrangedin alignment with the openin s 20 and thus form aguiding means i the 'nibs 23te the openings 20 when may be rolled inwariglly or ronnded somewhat as shown at 32, in Fl 11, so that the operation 0 l inserting the end 0 l? the shell in the cap may be :t'acilitated. This rolling over oil the el'lge also rounds over the ends oi the ribs El i of the corrugations at the edge otthe shell as indicated at 33, Fig. 10, so that when the end of the shell is inserted in the cap, it the nibs 23 happen to be in alignment with the ribs and corrugations they will be guided by these rounded walls into the grooves of the corrugations and into alignment with the openings 20.

It is believed the operation will be clear from the foregoing description. In connecting the shell and the cap together the end of the shell may be inserted in the cap either when the locking ring 26 is in the locking position of F 1 or when itis in the unlocking p0. ion of Figs. 4, 5, and 6. If it in the locking position 01" Fig. l the shell 12- is sirffici'ently yieldable so that the walls will be pressed inwardly by the OpeltltlOll of inserting the shell in the cap suiliciently to allow insertion of the shell and the passage ot the nibs to the openings 20, at which time the walls of th shell will s )ring outwardly and then the "ends ol? the nibs will engage the upper edges of these openings and lock the shell and tlie cap together. This yielding oi the walls of the shell is pennitted by the notch i l in the shell. This is a desirable feature i l this shell is Used on a lamp socket enclosed within a shade or globe where it is not readily accessible. It 'is also a =convenient Way to secure the elements of "he shell and cap together in ordinary usage as the ring may be/easily sln'tted to the looking position while the cap is separate from the shell and then the cap and shell They *be easily and quickly locked. together by n' ierely inserting the end of the shell in the Cap. It will, oi. course, however be obvious the end of the shell may be inserted in the cap when the ring is in the unlocked position andlihen the cap and "shell locked together by shifting the ring 26 to the pos ion of Fig. 1. As indicated above this sh i. ting movement will force the ton gi1es'21 iinwai-dlyte position "thenil' in the securing position in the o'pei in sephfiraftii ig the cap and shell all that is necessary is to first force the ring 26 to its uppero'r Unlocked position,as shown in Figs. 4,5 and 6 andthe'n separate t-he'cap and shell by merely pulling them apart. When the locking iin is shifted to this unleeked position it rdleases the tongues '21, 'pern'iitting them to move outwardly un (let "their resilient action and withdraw the nibs s3 froin'the openings 20.

It preferred to form the shell 12 with an outivardly extending bead 35 just below the edge of the locking ring 26 when it is infthe locking osition. This assists in strengthening and stiffening the walls of the shell, and

ion

also covers the slight space between the edge of the ring and the outer wall of the shell giving a better appearance.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that this construction provides a simple and effective means for locking the shell and cap together, and also one which gives a very strong and rigid connection between them suflicicntly strong to carry relatively heavy weights, such as glass globes or shades. It will also be apparent the ring 26 positively holds the tongues 21 in the locking position so that there very little liability of the shell and cap becoming accidentally detached. However, if it is desired to separate the cap and shell this may be easily accomplished by first moving the ring to the unlocking position, after which the cap and shell may be easily separated.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. A casing for electrical devices comprising two telescoping sections, the inner section having a. plurality of openings spaced from the end thereof, the outer section having a plurality of tongues having projections to extend into said openings to secure the scc tions together, and a locking ring embracing said outer section and slidable longitudinally thereof to and from a position over said tongues to lock them in holding position or to release them.

2. A casing for electrical devices comprising two telescoping sections, the inner section having a plurality of openings spaced from the end thereof, the outer section having a plurality of resilient tongues tending to move outwardly and having projections adapted to extend into said openings to secure the two sections together, and a ring on said outer section movable to a position to hold the tongues inwardly with the projections in said openings and to a position to allow said tongues to move outwardly to permit disconnection of the sections.

3. A casing for electrical. devices comprising two telescoping sections, cooperating securing means on the two sections to secure their: together, the securing means of one of the sections being mounted on resilient tongues tending to move away from the other section to separate said means, and movable means on one of the sections arranged in one position to hold the tongues in securing position and in another position to rel-ease them to allow them to move to an ineti ective position.

4. A casing for electrical devices comprising telescoping sections, the inner section having a plurality of openings spaced from the end thereof, the outer section having a plurality of movable tongues having projections to extend into said openings to securethe sections together, and movable means on one of the sections arranged in one position to hold the tongues in securing position and in another position to permit them to move to an ineffective position and allow separation of the sections.

5. A casing for electrical devices comprising telescoping sections, the inner section having a plurality of openings spaced from the end thereof, the outer section having a plurality of resilient tongues tending to move outwardly and carrying nibs to engage edges of the openings to secure the two sections together, a locking ring embracing the outer section and movable longitudinally thereon, cooperating shoulders on the outer section and the ring to limit the movements of the ring, and cooperating means on the ring and the tongues to hold the tongues inwardly to retain the nibs in the openings, said ring arranged to permit outward movement of the tongues to move the nibs from the openings when the ring is shifted to its other position.

6. A casing for electrical devices comprising telescoping shell and cap sections, said shell having a plurality of openin s spacet inwardly from the end thereof, the cap being provided with slits from its free edge forming movable tongues, said tongues having nibs projecting inwardly in position to en gage the edges of said openings to secure the shell and cap together, a locking ring embracing the cap and movable thereon, said ring arranged in one position to retain the nibs in the openings and in another position to permit them to move from the openings, and cooperating means on the cap and ring to limit the movements of. the ring.

7. A casing for electrical devices comprising telescoping shell and cap sections, said shell having a plurality of openings spaced inward from the end thereof, said cap being provided with a plurality of resilient tongues having nibs to project into the openings and engage side edges thereof to secure the sections together, said cap being provided with a shoulder spaced inwardly from the end thereof and also stop means, a ring slidable longitudinally on the cap and having means cooperating with said shoulder and stop means to limit its movement in opposite directions, said ring in one position arranged to retain the nibs in the openings and in another position to permit them to move from the openings.

8. A casing for electrical devices comprising telescoping shell and cap sections, said shell having a plurality of openings spaced inward from the end thereof, said cap being provided with a plurality of resilient tongues having nibs to project into the openings and engage side edges thereof to secure the sections together, said cap being provided with a shoulder spaced inwardly from the end thereof and a bead adjacent the end, and a movable locking ring provided with means lui) cooperating with said shoulder to limit its movement in one direction and also provided with a bead cooperating with the head on the cap to secure the ring in a given position, said ring when in the latter position being ranged to retain the tongues inwardly with their nibs in some of the openings in the shell.

9. A. casing for electrical devices comprising telescoping shell and cap sections, said shell having a plurality of openings spaced inward from the end thereof, said cap being provided with a. plurality of resilient tongues having nibs to project into the openings and engage side edges thereof to secure the sections together, said cap being provided with a shoulder spaced inwardly from the end thereof and a head adjacent said end, said cap also having stop means between the shoulder and said first mentioned head, a locking ring embracing; the cap and movable longitudinally thereof, said ring being provided with a flange at one end and an inwardly extending bead at the other end eooperatii'ig respectively with said shoulder and the stop means on the cap to limit movements of the ring in opposite directions, said head on the ring also arranged to cooperate with the first head on the cap to retain the ring in one posit-ion, and said ring arranged when in the latter position to retain the tongues with their nibs in openings in the shell. I

10. A casing for electrical devicesicomprising telescoping shell and cap sections, said shell beingprovided with a plurality of open ings spaced inwardly from the end thereof, said cap being provided with a plurality of movable tongues carrying nibs adapted to project into said openings and engage side edges thereof to securesaid sections together, and movable means on the caparranged when in one position to retain the tongues with the nibs in said openings and when in another position to release said tongues.

11. .A casing for electrical devices comprising telescoping shell and cap sections, said shell being provided with a. plurality of openings spaced inwardly from the end thereof and having its wall corrugated with the ribs thereof in alignment with the spaces between the openings to form guide grooves leading from the end of the s roll to the openings, said cap being provided with a plurality of tongues having inwardly projecting nibs adapted to enter said openings and secure the sections together, and a locking ring embracing the cap and movable thereon, said ring arranged in one position to retain the tongues with said nibs in the openings and in another position to release said tongues.

12. A casing for electrical devices comprising telescoping shell and cap sections, said shell being of resilient sheet metal and provided with a plurality of openings spaced inw-ardly from the end thereof and also having a notch leading from said end to permit the walls of the shell to yield inwardly, resilient tongues on the cap tending to move outwardly and having inwardly extending nibs adapted to enter the openings in the shell to secure the sections together, and a locking ring embracing the cap and movable thereon, said ring arranged when in one position to retain the tongues in securing position and when in another position to permit said tongues to move outwardly and release the shell.

13. A casing for electrical devices comprising telescoping shell and cap sections, said shell being provided with a plurality of openings spaced inwardly from the end thereof, said cap being provided with a plurality of movable tongues carrying nibs adapted to project into said openings and engage side edges thereof to secure said sect-ions together, invitardly projecting lugs on portions of the cap intermediate said tongues to enter the openings in the shell to prevent turning of the cap on the shell, and movable means on the cap arranged when in one position to retain theton gues with the nibs in said openings an d when in another position to release said tongues. i

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARVEY HUBBELL, J n, 

